The Tholian Web (episode)
While trying to rescue the Starfleet ship USS Defiant, disappears in a transporter accident. Summary SUMMARY Background Information * The Exo III graphic from "What Are Little Girls Made Of?" makes a reappearance in the sickbay of the Defiant. * A wonderful effects shot was set up in this episode and not used. A dead crewman is projected onto the floor of the Defiant's sickbay for DeForest Kelley to put his hand through. Unfortunately, only a tight close-up of his hand penetrating the body ended up being used. * The images of the brutally-killed crew of the Defiant, especially those in the engineering section, are rather graphic for 1960s television. * Cold blue light infuses the impulse engines of the Defiant to show that they are inoperative. * 'Star Trek' won its only Emmy Award for the special effects in this episode. The effects were a collaboration by Mike Minor and Van DerVeer Effects. * Spock refers to "the renowned Tholian puctuality", so it seems that that Starfleet had encountered the Tholian race before. * Just before the berserker engineer leaps down on Mr. Scott, we get a view down from the top of the ladder- this is the only time we see Engineering from this angle. Look carefully, and you can also see the colored lights behind the set that were used to light up the engineering consoles! * Ralph Senensky began the direction of this episode, but was fired and replaced by Herb Wallerstein. The signature wide angle shots used to show the viewpoint of a person affected by interspace were used by Senensky to great effect in "Is There in Truth No Beauty?" * The spacesuits in this episode were seen again in Whom Gods Destroy. * When Dr. McCoy enters Spock's quarters with the theragen, the mirror wobbles. The person controlling the door behind the mirror bumped the wall while operating the door cables. * The rather incredible title for this episode in Japan is "Crisis of Captain Kirk Who Was Thrown into Different Dimensional Space." * In some of the later incarnations of "Star Trek," characters often have a ho-hum attitude toward death. By contrast, Walter Koenig plays Chekov as obviously deeply affected by the carnage he sees aboard the Defiant. MISC. NOTES Links and References Guest Stars * Majel Barrett as Chapel * Sean Morgan as Lt. O'Neil * Barbara Babcock as the voice of Loskene (uncredited) * Paul Baxley as Defiant captain (uncredited) * Frank da Vinci as Brent (uncredited) and stunt double for De Kelley * Bob Bralver as berserker engineer * Jay Jones as dizzy engineer * Louie Elias as berserker at funeral service * Unknown actor as orderly References ''Defiant'', USS; environmental suit; Exo III; interphase; Kirk, James T.; mutiny; Scotch whiskey; theragen; Tholian Assembly; Tholian ship; Tholian web; transporter accident; tri-ox compound. DVD Media Information * Star Trek: The Original Series, Volume 32 (original two episode single-disc release) * Star Trek: The Original Series - The Complete Third Season (disc 3 of the set) Tholian Web, The de:Das Spinnennetz